ISLAMABAD: A recent international investigative journalism project uncovered ownership details of properties owned by influential people in Dubai.
The investigation, called ‘Dubai Unlocked’, examined data on hundreds of thousands of properties in Dubai, focusing on ownership information from 2020 to 2022. Notably, properties held by companies and those in commercial areas were not included in the analysis.
The data, obtained by the Centre for Advanced Defence Studies (C4ADS) in Washington, DC, was shared with media outlets worldwide, including Norwegian outlet E24 and the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).
Collaborating with 74 media outlets across 58 countries, the investigation revealed properties owned by various figures, including politicians, individuals under global sanctions, alleged money launderers, and criminals. The investigation also identified several Pakistanis among the property owners, estimating their combined property value at approximately $11 billion, Private TV channels reported.
Some notable Pakistani figures listed in the investigation include the children of former President Asif Ali Zardari, Hussain Nawaz Sharif, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s wife, Sharjeel Memon, Senator Faisal Vawda, and others from the Sindh and Balochistan assemblies.
The investigation also revealed ownership details of individuals like Chief Financial Officer of Omni Group Aslam Masood and Sohrab Dinshaw.
Furthermore, the investigation exposed the presence of individuals linked to criminal activities, such as the Altaf Khanani network involved in money laundering and Hamid Mukhtar Shah, a physician implicated in organ trafficking.
The investigation also provided insights into the foreign ownership of properties in Dubai, with Indians leading in terms of both the number of properties owned and their total value.
Pakistani nationals ranked second in terms of the number of owners and properties owned. The investigation included details such as the property owners’ nationality, date of birth, and passport numbers, obtained from official government documents and public utility companies.
Reporters involved in the investigation used the leaked data to identify property owners of public interest, including those convicted of crimes, facing sanctions, or holding public office. They cross-referenced the leaked data with official records and conducted extensive research to verify the information.
Additionally, Dubai’s land registry was consulted to confirm current ownership status, although in some cases, ownership could not be determined due to recent property transactions.
Note: Owning property abroad is not a crime in itself, nor is it illegal to own property outside of Pakistan. Many people who work abroad own properties, and these people have bought properties by paying taxes on their income. Determining the legal status of overseas properties is a matter for the tax authorities of the respective country.
(Monitoring Desk)
